Automobile washer and drier



March16 192s. 1,577,318

' E. B. JOHNSON AUTOMOBILE WASHER AND DRIER Filed Jan. 1925 INVENTORE'Lefa B Johnson BYQM%.um

ATTORNEY Patented Mar; 16, 1926;

PATENT 04F FIJC'E.

ELEFA. l3. Jonnsonor SACRAMENTO; onmronnra.

AUTOMOBILE. wasnnn Ann. DRIER.

Application filed January 28, 1925. Serial No. 5,331.

To all whom it"mag concern Be it known that I, ELEFA B. JoHNsoN, acitizen of the United States, residing at Sacramento, county ofSacramento, State of California, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Automobile l/V'ashcrs andD'riers; and I do declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of'the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning flat.polished surfaces and especially automobile bodies and theenameled partsassociated therewith.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a device of thischaracter by means of which dirt removing, washing and drying operationsmay be carried out wit-ha single implement and practically at one andthe same time.

Another object is to provide a device for the purpose so constructedthat it may be easily operated by any person with but very little effortand no previous experience being necessary.

A further object is to arrange the clean ing and drying elements of thedevice in such a manner that they may be readily removed and replacedwhen worn out without having to discard the entire implement.

A still further object is to construct a device so that its use will notscratch, mar or damage in any way the most highly polished or enameledsurface.

A further object of the invention is to produce a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the-purposesfor which it is de signed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate correspondingparts in the several views: I

Fig. 1 is a side view of the device partly broken out and showing thesame as connected to an ordinary garden hose.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes a hollow body preferably ofsubstantially rectangular form and made of any suitable material and inanydesired size. The body has transverse and longitu dinally spacedgroovesQ in the under side thereof to receive flexible rubber squegeestrips 3 which project outwardly from said under side of'the body aswell as beyond the side edges thereof for a certain distance.

Projecting outwardly from the upper or outer face of the body at anacute angle 2 and adjacent one end thereof isv a neck 4 adapted forconnection to a stop. cock 5 to which in turn a hollow rigid handle 6 isattached, The-outer end ofthe handle has a coupling member 7 to enableconnection to be detachably made with, one end of an ordinary fiexiblegarden hose 8.

The under face of the-body between the strips 3' is provided, with aplurality of perforations 9 of'suitablesize. These perforations howeverare preferably omitted between those two of the members 3 which are atthe end of the body farthest from the handle 6, or at what may beconsidered the upper end of the body.

The grooves are preferably dovetailed in cross-sectional form, while themembers 3 have corresponding longitudinal flares along one edge. In thismanner the strips 3 may be slid into the grooves from the ends thereofand are held without the use of cement. They cannot be displaced bypulling the same straight away from the body and yet they may be readilyremoved and replaced when necessary, as in case of wear or otherdeterioration.

In operation water is turned into the hose 8 from the usual hydrant andits flow to the body is thereafter controlled by the stopcock 5, so thatthe water may pass through the orifices 9 with whatever force is deemeddesirable, depending on conditions.

The operator grasps the handle 6 and while the water is flowinreciprocates the body back and forth in a plane at right angles to thestrips 3, with the latter in engagement with the surface to be cleaned.This operation causes any dirt on the surface to be loosened and thewater will then wash said dirt away.

When the surface is cleansed of dirt and it is desired to dry same thebody is tilted so that all the strips 3, except that one at the upperend which is isolated from the water spray, are held away from thesurface being worked on. The body is then drawn vertically and downwitlr'said single strip 3 in firmengagement with the surface, causingany water to be drained therefrom in the well known manner as employedin eonection with the ordinary squegee devices.

This drying operation, as above set forth, may be carried out withoutturning off the water, so that washing and drying operations may be donein practically simultaneous and follow-up order. If desired, however,the water may be shut off at the cool: 5 and all the strips 3 used fordrying purposes.

These strips 3, projecting as they do beyond the side edges of the body,the surface being acted on is protected from contact with said body ifthe latter should be accidentally turned on edge.

Thehandle 6 being disposed at one end of the body at an acute anglethereto, the main portion of the body may readily be projected intorestricted areas, as for instance between the fender and hood of anautomobile.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A washing and drying device comprising a hollow body member havingspaced parallel transverse grooves in one face thereof, and resilientstrips mounted in the grooves and projecting outwardly from the body,said body being perforated between the grooves.

52. A washing and drying device comprising a hollow body member,resilient strips projecting outwardly from one face thereof in spacedrelation to each other, said body being orificed between the strips, ahollow handle attached to and communicating with the interior of thebody, and adapted at its outer end to be connected to a source of watersupply, and a. stop cock at the body end of the handle.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

ELEFA B. JOHNSON.

